Residents of the San Juan community in the city of Matanzas publicly reported the state of deterioration of the only two passages that connect the area to the outside: one known as the iron bridge and a pedestrian bridge that, as they describe, are in conditions that pose an imminent risk to those who use them.
The complaint, spread on social media by Yuni Moliner, describes both structures as essential routes for entering and exiting the community, with no alternative available for its residents.
The accompanying images show a section of the metal grid of the pedestrian bridge that is sunken or collapsed, with deteriorated wood underneath and vegetation growing among the structural elements, in a damp environment with no visible maintenance.
According to the neighbors, the water pressure circulating beneath the structure has contributed to its progressive deterioration. Additionally, vandalism has exacerbated the situation: individuals have removed tiles from the pavement, further worsening the conditions of the walkway.
The demand takes on special urgency for those who depend on these bridges the most: around 70 children from the community must cross them daily to attend the Rogelio García López rural school, located about two kilometers away.
"The children must cross these bridges to reach the school," points out the neighborhood complaint, labeling the situation as an "imminent danger" and demanding intervention from the authorities and responsible entities.
Residents of San Juan do not wait for an accident to happen before seeking solutions. Their call is preventive: "Repair, secure, and restore safe conditions to these pathways before we have to mourn a tragedy, especially when it comes to children who use this route daily to get to school."
The case is part of a broader crisis in road infrastructure affecting the entire province. In August of this year, a section of metal railings from a historic bridge in Matanzas disappeared, leaving the elderly and pedestrians exposed in what appeared to be an act of vandalism.
In May, the Lacret Morlot bridge in Versalles was still awaiting repairs, eight months after an emergency intervention was announced, showing deep cracks, moisture erosion, and an invasive ficus growing between its structures.
The Giratorio and Belsay bridges, also in Matanzas, remained out of service with severe corrosion and years without maintenance. The Minister of Transportation himself, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, acknowledged in May 2025 that the Giratorio was undergoing a "serious corrosion process" in key structural elements.
Official data from May 2025 indicated that out of 5,914 bridges in Cuba, 74% were assessed as "good," a figure that contrasts with provincial technical studies: in Sancti Spíritus, 83% of bridges were affected, and 26% were in critical condition, attributed to a lack of planned maintenance and resource scarcity.
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